Joe Silva to Step Down as UFC Matchmaker by End of 2016

It is the end of an era for matchmaking in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Joe Silva, who booked matchups for fighters from 155 pounds to heavyweight in the Las Vegas-based promotion, will part ways with the UFC by the end of 2016. Sherdog.com on Wednesday confirmed with a source close to the situation that Silva will retire from his position. TalkMMA first reported Silva’s departure via Twitter.

Silva’s UFC tenure dates back to before the company was purchased by Zuffa in 2001, as he answered an ad taken out by previous owner Semaphore Entertainment Group in “Black Belt Magazine. From there, Silva’s role gradually evolved from advisor to official employee over the course of approximately 21 years with the organization.

Although it is unclear if the two are related, Silva’s exit is one of the first significant changes to occur in the UFC since the promotion was purchased by William Morris Endeavor and International Management Group (WME-IMG) earlier this summer for a reported $4 billion. Silva is believed to have profited from that sale, according to MMAjunkie.com.

It is currently unknown who will take over Silva’s matchmaking duties in the UFC. Sean Shelby, who previously worked for World Extreme Cagefighting, currently handles matchmaking for men’s weight classes 145 pounds and below as well as women’s bantamweight and strawweight in the promotion. In addition to setting up bouts, Silva also played a significant role in managing the UFC’s roster, including signing and releasing fighters.